Rise of the Shadow Swords
by Streak-Raven
Summary: The first of the epic warhammer series, the kill team:Shadow Swords are assigned to an Resource world to help defend against brutal ork attacks. Rated M for Violence,Corse Language and use of Narcotics and Alcohol
1. Dust Off

Ok, well here is all that copyright mumble-jumble: I do not own Warhammer 40k of any of its affinities. All Warhammer terms, things, concepts, etc are property of Games Workshop. Now that's that done, enjoy the story! Reviews appreciated!

**CHAPTER 1**

**Dust-off**

Sergeant K.A.Domen looked around the interior of the Valkyrie, at the rest of his squad. Segert was right across from him, bouncing his heavy bolter on his knee in the beat of the soft music that was playing. Segert Andrews was the heavy weapons expert of the Shadow Swords and his heavy bolter never left his side. He never saw him without the Rocket launcher strapped to his pack either. Next to Segert was Narth Richards polishing his Sniper rifle excessively with a role of vizzy-cloth. Narth was obsessive about his sniper rifle, making sure it was always clean and working exactly as it should. However no one cared about that. Narth was a cold, ruthless; killer who could have been a Vindicare assassin if he hadn't joined the Shadow Swords. Suddenly, there was a flash of light and a crack. Domen looked over at Mendosa and saw him prodding and adjusting his power fist, chainsword hanging on his belt. Mendosa Williams was the close combat specialist of the Shadow Swords and while the modified power fist was growing old, his chainsword was brand new, its shiny teeth protruding from under the swords blade. He looked beside him and saw Megell patching up an old burn scar on Mike. Megell Samson was one of the best medics in the Imperium, saving an average of 3 out of 4 men. Mike Garland was the flame trooper of the squad, and was covered in old and new burns. Suddenly the Valkyrie shook with an enormous explosion and fire rushed out of an engine. Alarms wailed and shrilled and there was the sheeek, thoom of a pilot ejecting, then darkness.

"S-st-Status" Choked Domen, his vision swimming as he got sluggishly to his feet.

"100" Narths cold voice crackled across the vox-net. "But I can't say the same for the crew" he said as he gestured to the cockpit. Both gunners were laying dead; one still slumped against the door turret. All that remained of the other pilot was a mess of blood and armor.

"How about the squad Narth" asked Domen.

"See for your self" Narth said pointing behind him.

Segert was on his feet, no surprise there, supporting a disoriented Mike. Megell was bent down, digging a piece of metal out of Mendosa's bloody leg. Mendosa wasn't moving and Domen feared the worst, but Mendosa flashed a thumbs up and Domen smiled a smile of relief that no one could see under his helmet.

"Wha, what happened?" asked Mike

"By the look of this" said Narth pointing to a piece of ork metal wedged in a wing "We got clipped by a fething lobba shell"

"Probably by the same ork forces that are warring against the imperial guard on this planet" Said Mike.

"Shut the feth up" said Megell, checking his auspex "Looks like an ork scout is heading to this location." "Judging by the readings it's probably a grot" he added. Narth whipped out his rifle and blew the head off of the frail ork in a spray of black ichor and bone.

"Heh" he smirked.

"Well, according to my auspex we need to be in Dathren, 10km that way" said Megell pointing up the small hill the grot came over. In the distance buildings could be seen as well as numerous explosions.

"Right that is where the guard needed the reinforcements" said Domen. "Segert, help Mendosa out, Dathren needs our help and by the light of Terra, the Shadow Swords will be there to reinforce them." Domen said as they walked past the fallen grot towards Dathren, knowing this wouldn't be easy.


	2. The Orks

**CHAPTER 2**

**The Orks**

They were about 3 km from Dathren when they saw them; Orks. There green skin stretched over slabs of muscle and cartilage, Blazing red eyes on snarling faces set between hunched shoulders. A few of them had guardsmen helmets hanging from there belts and all off them had crewed knifes and guns strapped to there bodies. One ork was bigger than the others, holding his shoota, and cackling in an accent the Shadow Swords couldn't make out.

"I want the ugly one" Narth said as he steadied his aim. There was a whining snap, and the better part of the largest orks head was gone.

"Humies!" yelled one of the xenos and the remaining orks were sprinting towards the Swords. Segert opened up with his heavy bolter blowing apart the first ork, and taking the arm of another. Blood spilled out of the wound, but the ork took no notice and started blazing away with his slugga. Segert dived sideways to avoid the shot, and Megell and Domen fired there hellguns, effectively vaporizing the orks chest and knocking it of its feet. Then, suddenly Mendosa, grunting from his leg wound punched of the final orks head with his power fist, and disemboweled it with a slash of his chainsword. Mike then readied his flamer and sent flame rolling over the orks, melting the skin off the lot.

"Gak it!" exclaimed Narth "What the feth are you doing?"

"In case you're for got" Mike said, turning of his igniter, "Ork skin gives off spores after they die, which grow into new orks." "You want to have to fight more of these things?"

"Gets you more kills" Narth retorted.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

The Shadow Swords arrived in Dathren 20 minutes later, just a few minutes after the orks had attacked the defenses, so guardsmen were hurrying in every direction preparing for the next attack. Suddenly a guardsman ran up to them.

"Colonel Mather, second platoon" he said, snapping a quick salute.

"Srg. K.A Domen, leader of the Shadow Swords, the 80th Cadian striking swords regiment." Domen replied.

"Thank the Emperor you're here, things are out of hand" Mather said. They certainly were. Domen looked around where the defenses had been set up and saw a criss-cross network of trenches dug into the road where the orks had clearly been attacking from, with heavy weapon posts every 60 or 70 feet. About 3 towers were constructed some 80 feet behind the trenches, which looked like sniper towers. The defenses were textbook, but the guardsmen were not. Looking around, Domen guessed that these were Dathren's own defense force. They had cheap flak armor, some even just a flack vest. They had old, dirty lasguns and wore, in Domen's opinion, helmets that looked like steel legion helms, but with black camo netting over them.

"Sir!" exclaimed a trooper, running up to them. "Radar has spotted large ork activity!" "They'll be all over us any minute!"

"Right, gather the defenses then" Ordered Mather. "Domen, the last kill team that was here was wiped out, except, for one man." "I decided to have him link up with you, Ferenze! Get over here!" Domen saw a trooper in gray and blue caterpace armor running up to them carrying a reddish-gold hellgun.

"I'm here" he breathed, quickly catching his breath. "Ferenze Burrlington, from the kill team: Fist of Faith."

"Glad to have you here Ferenze, now we need to prepare; the orks are coming" said Domen, turning to his squad.

……………………………………………………………………………………………...

Segert waited in the trench, heavy bolter braced, staring at the horizon. If the orks were to come, he swore to himself he would be the first to kill those bloody greenskins. He turned to Megell.

"Wonder where the cannon fodder is, eh?"

"No kidding" smirked Megell, "Those stupid shits are probably shooting up tree somewhere thinking it's a Dreadnought.

"They probably think the Russ is an "odd rock formation" said Segert, gesturing to the Leman Russ tank dug in just behind them.

"Well I just hope they hurry up"

……………………………………………………………………………………………...

Narth lay flat out in a prone position, his sniper barrel poking just over the lip of the sniper tower. He was tranquil, not moving an inch. The Guardsman next to him coughed and lifted his sniper. "Amateur" Narth thought as he watched the Guardsman aim around, hand shaking slightly. Suddenly, he saw smoke on the horizon and tensed; the orks were coming.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Domen gestured to Mendosa, Ferenze and Mike to get ready. Domen hung his power sword on his belt and concentrated on firing his hellgun. He saw Mendosa do the same with his chainsword, but drew just a las pistol. Domen smiled, Mendosa's time would come. Suddenly, the orks came within range. The air came alive with las rounds and tracer fire as the entire trench opened up. An ork vehicle erupted in a sheet of flame that burned the sky, sending burnt ork forms flying into the charge and disappearing beneath the sheer wave of green bodies. Domen aimed at the driver of a large transport truck and fired, putting three rounds into the orks head and neck. The ork vehicle turned and rolled over, crushing several dozen orks, and crippling a crude ork bike that ran into the twisted metal wreck.

"Wait till Narth here's this" thought Domen. The orks were closing fast and Mike ignited his flamer while Mendosa cycled his chainsword. The orks were only about 30 meters from the trench and things were about to get messy.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Segert was blasting away with his heavy bolter over the fire step blowing orks apart and leaving crumpled heaps of body parts. A few orks had reached the trench and Segert swung round, his hail of bullets disintegrating them. As he then pulled the rocket launcher off his pack and fired it, blowing apart an ork war machine, he thanked the emperor for the physicians that conditioned him to carry such stopping power. He fired again, annihilating a group of orks leaping off a truck, then re-drew his heavy bolter; the orks were getting close. Suddenly an ork gun found range, the lead slug digging into his shoulder, right under the armor pad. He cursed and removed the caterpace plate.

"Megell get the feth over here!" yelled Segert, dropping into the filthy floor of the trench.

"Right here" said Megell dropping down beside him and whipping open medical kit.

"Dirty xenos, could have hit anywhere but it had to be me" cursed Segert.

"Ah, your fine" said Megell pulling out the lead slug and throwing it over his shoulder. He then wrapped up the wound with some gauze and ran to another guardsman who had just lost the better part of his arm. Segert pulled himself up and resumed firing on the damned, dirty, orks.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Narth was having the time of his life. He fired once, twice, again and again, taking the orks heads off or making them lose there legs so they could suffer. He laughed evilly as he fired a hotshot round, piercing an ork skull, and blowing its brains all over the one behind him. Suddenly, he saw it coming, the missile. His heightened senses and reflexes kicked into gear as the world seemed to move in slow motion. He saw the missile coming, and he centered, loosened up, and fired. The round took the top stabilizer fin off and the missile spiraled off and blew up at the ground in front of the tower, shaking it. One guardsman had not adequately balanced himself and fell off screaming. "I think that counts as two" he grinned demonically. "Now, where was I? Ah yes, 49…

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Die fething orks!" yelled Domen as he put multiple rounds through the heads of a greenskin who had jumped into the trench. Behind him, Mendosa slashed an ork with his chainsword, so the ork stumbled around trying to hold his stomach inside his mutilated chest. "Try to keep the trench clean" Domen joked.

"Ha Ha" Mendosa smirked back. Some one should tell that to him said Mendosa pointing to a guardsman who had just been blow in two and was bleeding all over the place. "The medics should probably see to him"

"There isn't anything they can do" Domen said ducking as Ferenze lobbed a grenade over him.

"Then the medics here are terrible"

"Don't let Megell here you say that"

"Come on would I tell him?"

"Probably"

"Ha" Mike chuckled, his armor glinting in the light of his weapons fire. He doused an ork vehicle in flame, which promptly exploded.

"Why do you guys have to be so mean?" Ferenze said in mock sadness as he put a round through an ork skull.

"I'll be nice when orks retreat" retorted Mendosa, tones of fake anger in his voice.

"Well better get me some fething chocolates or something because there they go." All across the trench, the guardsmen erupted in cheers and woops as the orks ran back the way they came. An Imperial victory prayer was played loudly from somewhere and the occasional shot or tank round fired at the orks as the fell back over the horizon.


	3. The Exodus of Dathren

**Chapter 3**

**The Exodus of Dathren**

The swords, after cleaning themselves up, went over to the command tent to see what would happen next. "Oh hello" said Mather as they walked in. "Hello" Domen greeted back.

"I don't care what you think, we are victorious and we do not need to leave" some one was shouting at a Squad caption.

"As you can see the commander clearly does not want to leave Dathren" Mather said.

"Well what would be the tactical advantage of doing so?" Mendoza asked.

"Warmaster Lesilhouse has provided a substantial amount of reinforcements that are on route, and should arrive at Patos in 10 days time.

"Really?" said Megell "For a small planetary war like this?"

"Patos?" asked Narth

"Well there are promethium fields on the north that could supply lots of fuel to ork forces." explained Mather, as the commanders shouts got steadily louder. "And to answer your question" he nodded at Narth, "Its Kathires planetary capital."

"Ah" said Domen.

"Yes, the Warmaster even tried to get an Astarties Kill team in here too but the only one he could get here in under a month is off helping on Armageddon."

"Oh great!" yelled the commander, wheeling around. "Now the Damned kill team is going to argue with me!"

"Who, in the name of the emperor made this warp scum commander?" Narth snarled.

"He was made commander just for the city until this war is over" Mather whispered, but not quietly enough.

"Mather! I don't need your opinion, and even if I did I wouldn't damn well care!"

the commander yelled. "And get this Damned team out of my face!" he then proceeded to spit at the swords, hitting Narth accidentally.

"That is it you fething bastard!" Narth yelled, pulling a knife out of his belt and holding it, combat ready, in front of the commander.

"Narth, not now" said Segert, knowing that Narth wasn't bluffing. He quickly stepped forward, and pulled Narth away. Narth didn't resist, but the glare visible through his helmet visor, he gave the commander would have made a space marine nervous.

"We leave for Patos tomorrow" said Domen, gesturing to the vox operator to spread word.

"Now wait just one minu-"

"No I don't think I have to wait commander" said Domen

"That's right" said Megell, pulling out a holo-log of imperial law. "Imperial Edict: QTH-576 states that kill teams may take command if the current commander is deemed "incompetent" said Megell, putting a hint of emphasis on the last word. There was a short silence, in which only the cracks and pops from the vox was heard.

"Very well" the commander said gruffly, and the Swords left the tent.

……………………………………………………………………………………………...

"Well that could have gone better" Mike said as they left the tent.

"Could have been worse too" Ferenze said, looking uneasily at Narth.

"Worse for him you mean" Narth snarled "Why did you stop me Segert? No one would have cared"

"Because killing a commander would looked very bad on our resume Narth" Domen joked "the Warmaster would wonder if you were tainted"

"I wonder the same thing" said Narth, a mixture of nervousness and satisfaction in his voice."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The exodus of Dathern took place the following day, early in the morning. Hundreds of civilians loaded on to trucks, lugging there possessions. Tanks were loaded and armed. Chimeras were filled and every available transport in Dathren was commandeered for evacuation purposes. The convoy left early, hoping that if the orks did attack the city, they would be long gone and the convoy would be unharmed. The Swords rode in there own truck, followed by a large Leman Russ named "Mini Titan" according to the hand painted logo splashed across the turret basket.

"Are we there yet?" said Mike childishly.

"Oh shut up" said Segert.

"Sorry Mr. Grandpa Andrews" Mike said with a grin.

"It's a good thing your on this team because if you weren't, you'd be walking right now." Segert shot back.

"Hey if you babies are through fighting I got something" said Mendosa, pulling some beer out from under his seat.

"Nice" said Segert catching one that was thrown to him. "Leave it to Mendosa to bring alcohol on a mission."

"Hey, it was in a shop window, how could I resist?" Mendosa said, throwing one to Megell who tossed it over the side of the truck. "Oh come on Megell" Mendosa said with a half annoyed, half amused face. "Treat yourself"

"I'd rather not be wasted if the orks come" Megell said. "And I'm pretty sure you guys wouldn't want me helping you if you got wounded." He then emphasized this by pulling a rubber glove out of his pack and snapping it.

"Good enough reason for me" Domen smiled. Suddenly, he coughed as thick smoke wafted around them. He looked over and Narth, ignoring the beer, but was smoking a lho stick. 'Narth, what did I tell you?" Domen said.

"Ah, if it hasn't screwed up my health now it never will" said Narth. "But I suppose you'll be on my ass until I quit huh?"

"No we have bigger problems" Domen said suddenly looking over the side of the truck. Seven or eight ork walkers were clunking towards the convoy. They were the size of 4 or 5 men and could have crushed a space marine there claws. Some had large circular saws or drills, which began to come to life as they got closer. In the armpits of the monstrosities or on there tops, were ork heavy weapons, strapped and bolted on, which glinted in the early morning sun. Domen quickly signaled to the driver, which alerted the convoy. It came to a screeching halt and the tanks began to fire upon the group of ork battle machines. The distinctive thwack-BOOM of the battle canons filled the air as the depressurized cough of man portable anti armor weapons joined the noise. One walker was hit head on by a Russ shell, and blew apart in a spectacular array of fire and scrap metal. Another was hit in the knee joint by a missile, and it fell over, desperately trying to right itself as it caught fire. "This is too easy" Domen thought as another walker exploded in flame, munitions ignited so trails of fire zigzagged through the air. "Something is not right." Suddenly, Mini-Titan's side exploded and it burst into flame.

"What the hell!" Segert yelled. "How was it hit on the opposite side of the walkers?"

"That's how" said Domen, pointing over the side of the truck. A group of orks had snuck up behind the convoy and were placing manhole cover shaped explosives on every vehicle they could reach.

"Normal orks don't use this strategy!" Ferenze yelled over the sound of another tank exploding.

"These aren't normal orks" said Domen. These orks were different. They had only small loincloths or shorts for any armor, and there shootas had what looked like badly made silencers on them. They carried wickedly curved scimitars and had painted there body completely in clan markings and camo patterns. Mendosa leapt over the side of the truck, bringing his power fist down on the ork. The gravity powered thrust did its job and the ork was literally crushed into himself, bloody bones pointing out at odd angles. The rest of the swords sprung into action, as well as other guardsmen. Segert unhooked his heavy bolter feed line and connected the one from the ammo box of the trucks heavy bolter mount to his. His digital ammo display read 25000 rounds.

"This is going to be like shooting rippers in a cage" he said to no one in particular as he began to squeeze the trigger.


	4. Kommando Raid

**Chapter 4**

**Kommando Raid**

Domen rolled over the side of the truck and put his sword through the belly of the first ork he met. He could barely hear over the torrent of sound coming from Segert's bolter fire. Running ahead, he saw Megell helping a soldier he had just patched up to his feet. "Hmm Mendosa's wrong, you don't suck" Domen said.

"What?" yelled Megell

"Later" laughed Domen as he ran towards a fairly large ork. Domen snapped off a few quick shots, and then brought his power sword down on the ork. The swords clanged off the ork's armor, and it brought its slugga to bear. Domen knocked the pistol out of its hand, and chopped the axe that it swung at him in half. Now, out of weapons, the ork pulled out its grenade pin and tried to stab Domen with it. Suddenly, realizing what it had done, the ork screamed out a curse as Domen rolled under a truck. A large explosion and an arm landing near by told Domen the ork was successful at ending his own life. Suddenly the truck he was under was flipped of the ground and Domen found himself looking right into the visor of an ork walker. Domen rolled as the walkers machine gun chewed a hole into the ground where he had previously been. Domen ducked behind a chimera as he activated his helmet vox. "Segert, I have a little problem" Domen said.

"Huh what kind" Segert said.

"Oh a big one" Domen replied as the walker fire ripped through the chimera, slaughtering those within.

"Right, I see it" he heard Segert say. A second later, the walker exploded as Segert's rocket impacted in to its side.

"Thanks" Domen said.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Megell ran down the road, ork fire tearing it up around him.

"Mendosa!" he yelled as a nearby guardsman was annihilated by a rocket.

"Hey" Mendosa replied, tearing the head off an ork with his power fist.

"What's this about me sucking?" Megell questioned.

"Oh Domen told you, wel-" Mendosa never finished as a truck carrying a load of terrified civilians erupted into a sheet of flame. Megell went sprinting towards them, people shrieking as they burned away. Orks had found them and were happily slaughtering people as they melted and burned. Megell blew an orks brains out of its forehead, and then left them to onrushing guardsmen. He needed to find away to put out the civilians and his eyes fell on an overturned water tanker. He reached for a flare, but had none; they had fallen off in battle. He looked over and saw Narth, laughing manically as he dragged his knife through a dieing orks sternum.

"Narth! Narth!" Megell yelled. Toss me a flare!"

"Right" said Narth, tossing him one. Megell ignited it and threw it by the water tank.

"Segert better fething see this" he thought to himself. He did. Segert's rocket came whistling towards the tank and blew it open. Water rushed over everything, diluting blood and extinguishing fire.

"Quick thinking Megell, good work." Domen's voice came in across the vox net.

"Doing my job" Megell grinned to himself. "So I still suck?"

………………………………………………………………………………………

Mendosa, after meeting with Megell ran ahead to the front of the convoy. An ork jumped out and challenged him, but Mendosa's blade was faster, and the ork was bisected through the waist. Suddenly, shoota fire ripped through the air and Mendosa rolled behind a truck to avoid it. He looked down and saw a metal box. Opening it he found it contained a plasma pistol and ammunition. "Hmm, I guess it blew off a supply chimera" Mendosa thought as ork rounds sparked of the truck. "I could use a new toy." Then he hung his chainsword on his belt, and grabbed the pistol.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Mike and Ferenze were up ahead of the convoy, killing orks as they came. "Mike! There!" Ferenze yelled. Mike twisted around, flames spurting. It melted the orks as if they were made of butter.

"Take that!" Mike said, turning his flames onto another group. Suddenly an ork caught him off guard. As he jumped and fell to avoid the choppa, the ork drew its slugga and aimed at Mike's head. The orks neck then opened up and blew apart as a hellgun round hit. "Thanks Ferenze" Mike said, jumping to his feet. A nearby ork was hit by a beam of bright red light which incinerated it and left it a fatty pile of mush.

"Hey guys" said Mendosa stepping forwards, holding the pistol.

"Nice" said Ferenze, turning and firing into an orks groin, knocking it over.

"Back at ya" Mendosa said. Then an orks head exploded, and its neighbors did a second after.

"Ah, are we having a nice little reunion?" Narth said mockingly, stepping forward holding his sniper aloft. "Ooo, who gave Mendosa the nice gift," he added.

"I found it Narth, you don't need to accuse anyone of not liking you, we all do."

"You sound a little arrogant little man; I could waste you right now."

"Later Narth."

…………………………………………………………………………………

The orks were defeated an hour later, losing over 100 orks. However, 263 guardsmen were killed and over 50 civilians.

"Man, we got caught of guard." Mike said as they picked there way through rotting bodies and debris. "Since when do orks use tactics?"

"I think what those were what orks call 'kommandos'" said Domen. "I've heard about them only organized ork armies use them because, well orks aren't exactly the stealthiest xenos are they?"

"So, you're saying this means were up against a new Gazskull!" Ferenze exclaimed.

"No, but this isn't a shitty wanabe either." Domen replied.

"Hey look overhear!" Narth yelled. Lying by the foot of a destroyed ork walker was the old commander, dead, with an ork choppa buried in his ribs.

"Well, he wasn't much help anyways" said Megell. "Oh and Mendosa, I talked with Mather and your allowed to keep the toy."

"Nice" said Mendosa, turning and tucking the pistol into his belt holster. Then from somewhere came a loud wail of a siren.

"That's the signal to mount up, lets go" said Domen. The Shadow Swords walked to there assigned truck, except for Narth who stayed for a minute.

"Humph, bastard" said Narth. As he turned to head to the truck, he spat and hit the commander's corpse. "Too bad it wasn't me who ended you."


	5. Patos, the capital city

**Chapter 5**

**Patos, the Capital City**

The convoy rolled into Patos around noon, and unlike Dathren, was a much nicer place. Towering spires rose up here and there, and habs and small buildings abounded. The troops were much neater and better equipped too with shiny, new lasguns and fresh equipment. They all had good armor, not as good as the caterpaced Swords, but they all had flack jackets and helmets stamped with what looked like a planetary emblem.

"Fancy place" said Mendoza, crushing a can empty of alcohol with his power fist and tossing it over the side of the truck.

"Ya, it's not bad" said Segert.

"Sir's" said the truck driver. "Some one wants to talk to you." He then proffered the speaking unit through the rear window to Domen.

"Hello" said Domen into the vox.

"Hello Domen" Mathers voice popped in from the static. "We need you to head to the defense right away; our spotters have detected a large ork attack." "We believe that it is the warbosses finally push into the city."

"Just the way we like it" Narth snarled, lifting his sniper.

"Right men, lets take to the defenses, we are going to feel the full brunt of an ork Waaagggg today" Domen said.

The troopers in the trench were tense. Orks were coming and they would not hold back. A whine was heard over the horizon and ork aircraft came zooming over the defenses, there smoky tails staining the sky. Bombs began to fall as heavy weapons blitzed the air, trying desperately to stop the carnage. Men everywhere were screaming for medics and shrapnel whipped around as if they had minds of there own, lacerating and cutting targets. Then over the horizon, came the orks, hundreds upon hundreds, thousands upon thousands. Charging towards the trench issuing a guttural roar; WWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGG! Domen felt cold fear in his gut; this would be one hell of a battle. Then, from somewhere along the trench someone yelled; OPEN FIRE! Orks collided with Imperial fire and forward forces and pandemonium erupted. The guardsman nearest Domen was thrown backwards into the trench wall, his arms comically falling to the ground where he stood before. Basilisks fired and tanks boomed.

"Segert! Where's Narth!" Domen yelled

"I have no fething idea!" Segert roared back, covered in dirt and blood. A guardsman fell backwards into the trench, his legs missing. Domen looked up and saw an ork, snarling and laughing. A round through the skull silenced the ork, but the rest of the mob was at the trench. An ork grabbed Domen from behind and attempted to strangle him, pinning his arms at his sides. With what little movement he had, he stabbed the ork in the stomach with his combat knife, up to the hilt. The ork let go, and Domen spun around, kicking the knife fully into the orks chest. The ork screamed in pain and Domen stuffed a grenade down its mouth, blowing the ork apart.

"Bitch" Domen cursed. Megell sprinted over to Domen.

"Domen this is insane!" He screamed as a guardsman was decapitated by a spinning piece of debris. A group of orks leapt into the trench, landing near Domen and Megell. There hellgun rounds sliced the xenos, but the more they killed the more there were. It darkened and began to rain. This however did not dampen the orks attack. These orks were different too. They wore strange helmets, from before even the emperor's rise to power, before man had traveled amongst the stars. Domen only recognized them from holo-logs while learning about the history of man. There tanks were also crudely human-ish as well. The rain turned the trenches into streams and mud holes as it came down harder. Domen ran around the corner of the trench and ran strait into Narth, who almost stabbed Domen through the neck.

"Hey there" said Narth as a close shell blast threw them into ash cover.

"Been looking for you, are you ok!"

"Fine" Narth then lifted his sniper and began firing; Domen did the same with his hellgun.

"Shit!" Narth yelled as he dropped to the floor of the muddy trench.

"Megell!" Domen yelled. "Narth where are you hit!"

"No where!"

"Then what in the name of the emperors wrong!" Domen yelled as Megell came running around the corner.

"I missed"

"You missed! I thought you'd been hit!"

"Well I _missed_"

"Come on its not as if the ork pissed on you."

"That happened to Mike once" said Megell, putting a round through an orks kneecap. Steam rushed into the air, followed by fire.

"Mike over here!" Domen yelled.

"Damn it! I can't keep my fething igniter going!" Mike cursed. Suddenly an ork walker appeared right at the trench. It targeted Narth first. He rolled aside as shoota rounds tore through the air where he had just been. Narth dove out of the way again as the machine turned and fired, shredding a guardsman nearby. Domen crawled up the side of the walker, and rammed his power sword to the hilt into the walker's visor. Sparks and electrical discharge spat out and the sword began to fuse to the metal.

"DOMEN, LET GO!" yelled Mike. Knowing he had no choice, he yanked the sword's power cable out of his pack and fell to the ground, pulling Mike down into the dirt. The last thing he saw before the war machine exploded was it stumbling about as if it was a wounded animal, sparks flying from its visor, the power cord hanging like a deadly snake.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Segert was blasting on full auto with his heavy bolter. Looking to the side he saw a large ork leap into the trench and smash a guardsman's head in to a disturbing bowl shape. Segert swung his heavy bolter to face the ork, but it noticed him and smashed the weapon out of his hand. Segert fired the heavy weapon but the damage had been done, reading on his tri-dome rebreather HUD indicated a jam in the feed line. Segert hit a button on his gauntlet, and the feed line broke loose of his ammo pack, bolt rounds spilling every where. He then brought his launcher to bear and fired a rocket at the belly of the ork, and it was lifted into the air and blown apart. That however was his last rocket and the heavy bolter he left broken and useless on the floor of the trench. Just then another ork leapt into the trench and raised its slugga to Segert's head. He closed his eyes, and said simply;

"Feth you bitch" Suddenly Ferenze leapt out of no where and grabbed the ork from behind, trying to distract it away from Segert.

"Die xeno!" he screamed and then he fired down into the top of the orks head, the hellgun round exiting the orks rectum as his scorched innards followed suit.

"Feth you son of a bitch!" laughed Segert. "That was the stupidest, most dangerous move I have ever seen! Way to go!"

"Cant you go anywhere alone?" said Ferenze, jumping of the dead ork.

"Ahhh, Ill save you here soon, and then yull owe me!" said Segert, picking up a guardsman's lasgun. The soldier didn't care, mainly because the innards of his head had been torn out, his head an empty shell.

"Hey guys" said Narth, stepping around the corner.

"Hey" said Segert. "Count?"

"78" said Narth. He then looked out of the trench and gasped. "Oh sacred feth" he whispered.

"What?" said Ferenze.

"That!" Then they saw it, just coming up over the horizon. A Gargant was plodding its way up to the trenches. Segert couldn't believe what he was seeing. A fething Gargant! The whole thing was a mountain of scrap metal, crafted into the horrible likeness of an ork god, glork, of whatever the feth it was. 2 dozen big shoota nests were protruding from its chest, dotting it like pimples. A grossly large cannon was mounted on its naval, just above its plodding feet. One arm ended in an enormous wrecking ball, the size of a small house, and the other, a huge gattling gun type creation. A large tower on one of its shoulders crackled with energy and on the other one, a trio of lobbas, an ork version of a howitzer. The terror machine opened fire. The immediate death toll was in the thousands. The dozens of big shoota nests opened up and tore apart the trench. There was a mist of blood mixing with the rain, turning it a maroon color. Segert's heart stopped for a second as a bullet the size of a space marine impacted into the trench a few meters away from him as the gattling gun opened up. He heard someone yelling; "Fall back! Fall back! In the name of the emperor, run!" Then, Segert knew it was time to leave.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Domen woke in a daze. Something squishy and pink was pressed against his visor. When he looked up, he realized they were intestines, spilling out of a screaming guardsman near him.

"D-D-Domen?" Mike croaked.

"We should probably get out of here" said Domen breathlessly.

"Wish I could" Mike groaned, pointing to his foot. When the walker exploded, it had fallen down into the trench. Mike's foot was crushed and bleeding under part of the walker's torso.

"Here" said Domen, managing to slide the wreck a few inches.

"No-no good" said Mike. Heaving out a curse and most of his breath, Domen slid the wreck a few more inches. Mike with a horrible splunching sound pulled his foot out.

"Come on" said Domen getting up and pulling Mike up. "Let get you nice and easy back to the city." Then he saw the gargant. "Well, we may need to pick up the pace." He half heartedly joked as he carried Mike, retreating with the forces back into the city.


End file.
